Join us for the 2026 Marian Wayave Morrison lecture, featuring Christopher Neilson, Professor of Economics & Global Affairs at Yale University.

Abstract: How should societies allocate scarce public resources like seats in good schools when prices cannot and should not do the work? Over the past two decades, more than 70 countries have adopted some form of centralized school choice and assignment system, transforming how families access education. Drawing on more than a decade of research and implementation experience — including Chile's national platform (SAE) and comparative evidence from New York, Madrid, Copenhagen, and Bogotá — this lecture examines what we have learned about designing these systems well. Recent advances in large language models and machine learning are opening new possibilities for tailored recommendations, multilingual outreach to underserved families, and policy simulators that let the public stress-test reforms before they are enacted. The goal is a clear path forward for using digital platforms and AI to expand equitable access to effective schools.

Bio: Christopher Neilson is Professor of Economics at Yale University. His research in applied microeconomics focuses on public policy and regulation in education markets, with emphasis on school choice, mechanism design, information provision, and the use of digital platforms and AI to expand equitable access to education. He has led the evaluation as well as policy design and implementation of centralized school choice and assignment systems in multiple countries including Chile, Colombia, and beyond.